Toy construction.



Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

WITNESSES I ll JOSHUA L. COWEN, OF NEW YORK, N..Y.

'IOY CONSTRUCTION.

To (17] whom it may concern Be it known that I, Joslnm L. CownN, acitizen of the Unlted States, and a resident of New York' city, in thecounty of New York and State of New York, have invented" certain new anduseful Improvements in 'loy Constructions, of which the followingis aspecification.

My invention relates to toy' constructions and particularly to atoyrailway in which a rail conductor is used to carry an electric currentto a. motor mounted upon a car.

The object of my invention is to provide a track construction comprisinga roadway having electric conductors embodied therein and presenting aroadway on which the wheels of a car may be supported.

A further object of my invention is to provide a rail construction forcarrying an electric current which rail also serves as a guide to holdthe car in its proper course.

The features of novelty will be pointed out in the claims forming a partof this specification.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portionof a toy roadway disclosing a View of one end thereof and of the railconstruction carried thereby. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the constructionshown in Fig. 1 shown partly in section. Fig. 3 is an end view of theconduit portion of the roadway with the rail pin shown in cross section.

A. indicates the roadway which is preferably formed of sheet metal andis made in sections and bent to provide aconduit B which extends theentire length of the roadway. At the upper edges of the conduit are ribsBB which project slightly above the surface of the track portion of theroadway A. The track portion may be inclined if desired on each side ofthe median line of the conduit as indicated in dotted lines B B Themetal is bent to provide outer sides AA which extend about at rightangles to the plane surface A and the edges are bent to form beads A 3in such a manner as to provide longitudinally extending openings in eachof which a wire C is located and extends nearly the entire lengththereof and projects beyond one end as illustrated at E, so as toprovide sockets D- D at each end of the section and at opposite sidesthereof and match pins E-E at each end of the section on opposite sidesthereof, so that when the sections are joined together Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed April 22, 1912. Serial No. 692,336. 7

way can be built Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

will enter the sockets end to end, the pins E and thus alinc thesurfaces A of the roadway and at the same time serve to hold thesections together. The'bottom of the conduit B is slitted in such amanner as to provide clip portions B which are bent upward to support arail F which extends the length of the section and located between thebase of the rail F and the clips E is a strip of insulating material G.v

The rail F is preferably formed of sheet metal as indicated and isprovided at each end with a half pin H and semi-circular shaped socketat one side thereof, so that when the sections are placed together thehalf pin H in the end of one section of rail Wlll fit into the socketformed in the end of the adjacent rail and vice versa, thereby provldmgsections which are interchangeable, as will be'readily understood. The

height of the rail F'in :the conduit is pref-' erably less than thedepth of the conduit.

While the sections of track or roadway here shown are illustrated asstraight sections, it will be understood that cur-ved'sections'may alsobe provided by means of which a continuous, elliptical shaped roadupon'which a car can travel the circuit continuously. By connecting the railF with one pole of an electric battery and" the metal roadway withtheother pole thereof, a car placed on the roadway having a contact shoein'cont'act with the rail would be furnished with a current ofelectricity which after flowing through the-motor would pass through' asecond-comtact shoe which rested on the rib portions B, thuscompletingthe circuit through the motor lip drive the car, as will bereadily understoo The construction of the car and its contacts for usewith thisroadway is disclosed in a co-pending application herewith andtherefore needs no further description in this application.

The construction herein shown may be modified to a considerable de-'.

gree without departing from the invention disclosed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new 1. A roadway for toyelectric railways formed of integral sheet metal sections each sectionhaving substantially fiat track portions upon which the wheels of thevehicle are adapted to roll, and a conduit between said track portions,a rail attached to the roadway is adapted to rest and a conduit.

between said track portions, a rail within said conduit below thesurface of the track portions and insulated therefrom adapted to serveas a current conveying means and also as a guiding means for the toyvehicle,

said track portions and rail being provided with attaching means formechanically and,

electrically connecting the sections together.

3. A toy construction-comprising a sheet metal roadway formed as aseparate inter-' changeable section having a track portion, a conduitformed integrally therewith, the upper portions of which extend abovethe surface of the roadway, said roadway'being.

adapted to serve-as a contact member from which the current is conductedto the vehicle, a rail supported in said conduit, and attaching means atthe end of the section for connecting with an adjacent section.

4. A toy construction comprising a sheet metal roadway formed as aseparate interchangeable section having a track. portion, a conduitformed integrally therewith, the upper portions of which extend abovethe surface of the roadway, said roadway being adapted to serve as acontact member from which the current is conducted to the ve hicle, arail supported in said conduit, and insulating material located betweensaid rail and the surface of said conduit.

5.. A. toy construction embodying a sheet metal roadway and a conduitformed therein incense below the surface thereof, a rail supported 1nthe conduit, said rail having a socket at each end, an extended memberfastened in each socket disposed mainly at one side of the median lineof the rail, and insulating material located between the conduit andsaid rail.

6. A. toy construction formed of sheet metal comprising a roadway havingsubstantially flat track portions upon which the Wheels of'a toy vehicleare adapted to roll and a conduit formed below the surface.

of the track portions and integral therewith,

a rail supported in said conduit, insulating material located betweenthe rail and said conduit, and means located at each side of the roadwaycomprising pins and sockets for the purpose set forth.

'7. A. toy construction comprising a section of a sheet metal roadwayand a conduit, the upper edges of the walls of which extend above thesurface of the roadway, a rail supported in said conduit, side members,the lower edges of which are headed, and means carried by said sidemembers to connect the ends to an adjacent section.

8. A. toy construction comprising a section of a sheet metal roadway anda conduit, the upper edges of the walls of which extend above thesurface of the roadway, a rail supported in said conduit, side members,the lower edges of which are headed, and means carried by said sidemembers to connect the ends to an adjacent section, said rail beingprovided with an extended mem ber adapted to carry a current ofelectricity to a rail .of an adjacent section.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New Yorkthis 11th day of April A. l). 1912.

JOSHUA. L. GOWEN.

